Amazon Activists Spearhead Crucial UN Climate Talks in Brazil

As the UN climate conference (COP30) begins on November 10th in the Brazilian city of Belem, located in the Amazon region, a diverse group of influential Brazilians are poised to play a crucial role in the proceedings.

At the forefront is Brazil's 67-year-old environment minister, Marina Silva, who is internationally recognized for her lifelong advocacy for the environment and preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Raised on a rubber plantation in the Amazon, Silva has faced challenges in her efforts, even resigning from the government in 2008 due to clashes over her environmental agenda. However, she has returned to the government this year and is now tasked with navigating the country's contradictory policies, including recent plans for expanded oil exploration at the mouth of the Amazon River.

Another key figure is meteorologist Carlos Nobre, a renowned expert on the Amazon and global warming. Nobre, who has been a member of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has spent decades warning that deforestation is steadily bringing the Amazon closer to the "point of no return," where the rainforest could transform into a savannah. He believes that with strong environmental policies, Brazil could become a leader in the global energy transition.

Joining them is Txai Surui, a 24-year-old Indigenous activist who was appointed as one of the UN secretary-general's young climate advisors. Surui, the daughter of a chief and an environmental activist, has been a powerful voice for preserving the traditional lands of Indigenous communities in the Amazon, which have been proven to reduce deforestation.